Note

Free webinars are held every month, which provide more information about Holt’s China program and feature an adoptive family who shares their story and answers questions.

You can register for an upcoming webinar, “Discover China Adoption”, or watch a recording of an earlier webinar by clicking on "View Event Recordings” on the right-hand side.

Korea

Holt can place children from Korea with families from all 50 states.

Children Who Need Families

Children waiting for families are on average 2 years old at the time of placement.

More boys than girls from Korea need families through international adoption.

Children range from having minor noted medical conditions that are not considered special needs to having more involved special needs.

Parent's Age

Both parents must be between the ages of 25 and 44-and-a-half at time of homestudy submission.

Please contact the Korea program prior to applying if either parent is near the age of 44.

If one or both parents are Korean, or one parent is a Korean adoptee, or the prospective family has previously adopted from Korea, the upper age limit is 49-and-a-half.

*Please scroll down to the notes section below for additional eligibility criteria.

Length of Marriage

Applicants must be married for at least 3 years.

Divorce

Applicants may have 1-2 divorces total.

Children in Family

Applicants may have up to four children already in the home, and the youngest child must be at least 1 year old at time of application.

Single Applicant

Single applicants not accepted.

If you are a single applicant, please see our China, Vietnam, and Philippines programs to explore your options.

Travel in Country

Two trips are required to adopt from Korea.

Both parents are required to travel on the first trip.

One or both parents may travel on the second trip, but if only one parent travels, an additional adult travel companion is recommended.

How Long it Takes

The estimated timeframe from application through placement is an average of 24 months.

Waiting Child Program

Children from Korea that have slightly more involved medical conditions sometimes require additional home-finding efforts.

These children typically have a range of special needs.

Families who adopt through the waiting child program have the same eligibility requirements as the standard Korea process.

Additional Information

If either parent has any medical conditions or an arrest record, please contact the Korea program prior to application.

Families currently on medication for a mental health condition such as depression or anxiety are not eligible.

Families currently on a medication classified as an antidepressant for a non-mental health issue should consult with the Korea program to determine eligibility.

Families with a history of depression, please contact the Korea program staff directly to discuss eligibility.

The maximum permitted Body Mass Index (BMI) is 35, and all parents with a BMI in the range of 30-35 should contact their physician for a medical letter after applying.

Families must be open to a child of either gender as well as a child who has at least some minor to moderate medical conditions such as prematurity, birth mother use of minor alcohol and/or tobacco, or a minor heart murmur.

Note

Colombia

Children Who Need Families

The Colombia program matches girls and boys with varying degrees of special needs.

Children live in group homes.

Colombian heritage families can adopt children with no known health conditions 0-6 years old at time of placement.

Non-Colombian heritage families can adopt healthy children ages 7+ at time of placement.

All families can adopt children of all ages who are part of a sibling group or have some degree of special needs.

Parent's Age

Applicants should be married couples or singles who are 25 years of age or older.

Parents can be no more than 45 years older than the child.

Some exceptions are allowed on a case-by-case basis.

Length of Marriage

Couples must be married or able to document cohabitation for at least 3 years.

Divorce

Each applicant may have up to two divorces.

Children in Family

There is no regulation regarding children in the home.

Single Applicant

Single men and women may apply.

Non-Colombian single parents can adopt boys or girls who are ages 9+ or have special needs.

Travel in Country

Both parents are required to travel and should expect to stay approximately 3-5 weeks in Colombia.

One of the parents can return after one week.

How Long it Takes

From application to placement, we anticipate the entire process will take 2-3 years on average.

For waiting children, application to placement may be shorter - approximately 1-2 years.

Waiting Child Program

For children placed through our waiting child program, the process and eligibility requirements are the same as listed above.

Additional Information

Applicants with a past or current diagnosis of a life-threatening or communicable disease or other condition that impairs their ability to parent and/or the quality of life of a child are ineligible to adopt.

Note

Philippines

Children Who Need Families

The majority of children matched through the standard program are age 2-5 years old at time of placement.

We are also accepting new applications from families open to a child with special needs or children 6 or older.

Please contact the Philippines program before applying.

Parent's Age

The minimum age for applicants is 27.

There can be no more than 45 years age difference between the primary caregiver and the child.

If both parents reach the age of 50 while waiting for the referral of a child, the Philippines will only refer a child from the Special Home Finding list for children with moderate to major special needs.

Length of Marriage

Couples must be married for at least three years before applying.

If applicants have been legally married for at least one year, the other two years can be common-law marriage.

Divorce

Each applicant may have up to one divorce.

Children in Family

Families can have up to three children already in their home at the time of application.

On a case-by-case basis, the Philippines will sometimes accept families with up to four children in the home at the time of application.

Please contact the Philippines program before applying.

Childless couples are given some priority during the centralized child match process.

Single Applicant

Single applicants are accepted for children older than 6 or children with moderate to major special needs.

Please contact the Philippines program prior to applying.

Travel in Country

At least one parent is required to travel and should expect to spend about five business days in the Philippines.

We strongly prefer that both parents travel to the Philippines.

How Long it Takes

From application to placement, we anticipate the entire process will take approximately 3-4 years.

Waiting Child Program

Children in our waiting child program are released to multiple agencies for home-finding, and these children are usually older or have some special needs.

Holt's Philippines Ambassador Program specifically recruits families for waiting children 10-15 years old.

Families with four or more children may be eligible to adopt children in our waiting child program.

This approval is given on a case-by-case basis.

Additional Information

Families must be open to a child of either gender.

Families with Filipino heritage are given priority during the child matching process.

To be eligible to adopt from the Philippines, families must provide a letter of reference from their church that confirms the adoptive family has been attending for at least five years.

Note

Holt also assists families who want to adopt a child relative living in the Philippines.

Please contact the Philippines program to learn more.

India — Not Currently Accepting Applications

Children Who Need Families

Our India program is currently accepting applications from: NRI families, families who are open to children above age 4 years, and families who are open to significant special needs.

Parent's Age

The minimum age difference between the youngest applicant and the child is 25.

The maximum combined age of married adoptive parents can be up to 90 to adopt a child under 4 years old, up to 100 for a child 4-8 years old and 110 years for children 8 years or older.

The maximum age for single adoptive parents can be up to 45 to adopt a child under 4 years old, up to 50 for a child 4-8 years old and 55 for children 8 years or older.

When calculating age, the Indian governments accounts for the sum of years, months and days for both parents.

Length of Marriage

Couples must be married for at least two years before applying.

Divorce

Married couples can have a total of two divorces between both applicants.

Children in Family

Applicants may have up to two children.

If you have more than two children and are open to a child with special needs please contact the India program.

India counts all children of the parents, including grown children not just those in the home.

For families who can accept a child 10+ or a child with moderate to major special needs, India may be open on a case by case basis.

Single Applicant

Please contact the India program before applying.

For single applicants, the maximum age of the applicant is 45 years for a child under 4 years old, 50 years for a child 4-8 years old, and a maximum of 55 years for a child 8 years old or older.

Single males may only adopt a male child.

Travel in Country

At least one parent is required to travel to India and the average trip length is typically 10-14 days.

How Long it Takes

From application to placement, we anticipate the entire process will take approximately 2-3 years.

Waiting Child Program

India provides Holt access to a photolisting for a select group of children who are available for adoption.

Holt may then match waiting children with families registered with our India program.

While India's eligibility requirements are the same for waiting children as they are for families adopting through the standard process, India's central adoption authority encourages priority for waiting children.

Additional Information

Our India program is currently only accepting applications from NRI families, families who are open to children above the age of 4, and families who are open to significant special needs.

The United States government requires that one adoptive parent be a US citizen.

Additional Information

The number of our adoption placements per year for the prior three calendar years, and the number and percentage of those placements that remain intact, are disrupted, or have been dissolved as of the time the information is provided; the number of parents who apply to adopt on a yearly basis, based on data for the prior three calendar years; and the number of children eligible for adoption and awaiting an adoptive placement referral.